Index: doc/howto.txt
==================================================================
--- doc/howto.txt
+++ doc/howto.txt
@@ -16,10 +16,11 @@
 http://the.domain.com/pagename/p1/p2/p3?param1=value1
 
 (s:get-page-params) => '("p1" "p2")
 
 (s:get-param 'param1) => "value1"
+(s:get-param 'param1 'number) => number or #f 
 
 Create a link.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 (s:null "[" (s:a name 'href 
@@ -68,10 +69,11 @@
 
 Get and set a session var
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 (s:session-var-get "keyname")
+(s:session-var-get "keyname" 'number) 
 (s:session-var-set! "keyname" "value")
 
 5.1 Page local vars
 
 (s:set! key val)
@@ -81,17 +83,19 @@
 make a selection drop down
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 In view.scm: 
 
-(s:select '(("World" 0)("Country" 1)("State" 2)("Town/City" 3)) 'name 'scope)
+(s:select '(("World" 0)("Country" 1)("State" 2 #t)("Town/City" 3)) 'name 'scope)
 
 In control.scm:
 
-(let ((scope (s:get-input 'scope)))
+(let ((scope     (s:get-input 'scope))
+      (scope-num (s:get-input 'scope 'number))) ;; 'number, 'raw or 'escaped
   ....
 
+The optional third entry sets that item as selected if true
 
 Simple error reporting
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 In control.scm:

Index: session.scm
==================================================================
--- session.scm
+++ session.scm
@@ -435,13 +435,14 @@
 (define (session:page-get self key)
   (hash-table-ref/default (sdat-get-pagevars self) key #f))
 
 ;; get session vars for a specified page
 ;;
-(define (session:get self page key)
-  (let ((ht (session:get-page-hash self page)))
-    (hash-table-ref/default ht (s:any->string key) #f)))
+(define (session:get self page key params)
+  (let* ((ht  (session:get-page-hash self page))
+	 (res (hash-table-ref/default ht (s:any->string key) #f)))
+    (session:apply-type-preference res params)))
 
 ;; delete a session var for a specified page
 ;;
 (define (session:del! self page key)
   (let ((ht (session:get-page-hash self page)))

Index: setup.scm
==================================================================
--- setup.scm
+++ setup.scm
@@ -66,12 +66,12 @@
   (let ((val (session:page-get s:session key)))
     (session:del! s:session key)
     val))
 
 ;; these are session wide
-(define (s:session-var-get key) 
-  (session:get s:session "*sessionvars*" key))
+(define (s:session-var-get key . params) 
+  (session:get s:session "*sessionvars*" key params))
 
 (define (s:session-var-set! key val)
   (session:set! s:session "*sessionvars*" key val))
 
 (define (s:session-var-get-n-del! key)